Genesis
by Shadowed Chaos
Summary: Shattered Glass AU 7MYA, It was considered taboo to experiment on the living embers of mechs for whatever reason. Now, 7 million years on, the choices that ones involved made are starting to lead the war down a very different path...
1. Prologue

Also posted on Live journal under the user name Agiftedmind.

I do not own anything and make no profit off this.

Feed back is very much loved as it helps me improve in my writing.

Parts of this were Rped out with Kikutsuru [She was the Hound]

**Beta**: Zeroxgirl.

**Notes**: Riejii - Mirages Japanese name slightly altered for the fic.

Sunstorm has SG Starscreams frame in this. It will be explained in comming chapters.

**------ **

_TIME UNITS: _**  
Klick **-- 1.2 minutes  
**Breem **- 8.3 minutes  
**Joor –** 6 hours aprox.  
**Orn **– 13 days abouts.  
**Vorn **– 83 years.  
**Mega-vorn -** 83 vorns or 6889 years.

**- - - - - - -**

**Prologue**

It was silent as the orn broke over the small artificial town of Pyrax, built for one purpose only: to hide the existence of one very highly illegal lab. What was created and experimented on inside it was considered the greatest anathema to Cybertronians everywhere.

But no one knew, and no one would know, for even if the experiments escaped, they would be hunted down like common criminals and dragged back to the labs.

But fate had other plans, and the destinies of the Genesis Experiments and Cybertron was to become interwoven in one split second.

-- half a joor previous. ---

"Go!"

The green opticed mech nodded as he darted out, the stolen electro-rifle primed in his hands. Behind him, the only surviving femme, a pink and white thing, darted out as well. Her optics were a sickly yellow as the Berserker Program took over, and Green optics prayed to the Unmaker that she would not be a liability in the escape plans.

But that didn't matter. They were so close and there was none to stop them. All the head scientists, barring one, were not in the labs at the present. It was only the technicians and the helpers, and that was why they were making the escape now. He couldn't...they couldn't afford to stay any longer. Not when he knew that sooner or later they would be scrapped for new models. Faster, stronger, more obedient ones. And the Mark Seven of the Reijii series did not want to be euthanized because he was not good enough.

It was the same with the other three, mostly. But that hardly mattered right now. Reijii looked to the side as the gunmetal-grey of the Mark Ten flier came into view, and he fell back, even as the first EMP wave was unleashed. It took out the remaining techs, and a few well placed rounds from the femme ensured they were dead. None of them had any second thoughts about killing what stood in their way. It wasn't an option, at all.

"Keep moving!" The voice of the Mark Thirteen jet type flier came. "Blackout, Reijii, do it!"

"Yes." Blackout lumbered forth. Not the brightest in the group, he more than made up for that with his sheer size and the EMPs that he created. The leader of the group, a gold and white flier, used that to his advantage. While Blackout fried the electronics, Reijii slipped onto his 'invisible' state, and darted through the now open doors, gunning down the last of the techs that stood in their way. He stopped when he saw Shockwave. He backed up, fear playing in his optics as the disruptor faltered.

The purple mech would have smirked if he could have, instead, he raised his gun arm. "Stand down."

Gold-yellow optics crackled with suppressed radiation, and a yellow bolt of it was shot forth. The owner of it was the gold and white flier.

"No." His optics flashed red as his entire frame crackled. The mech surged forth. Shockwave had a hard time at dodging it. But the attack served its purpose, and the pink and white femme darted forth, planting the stolen charged on the door. "MOVE!"

There was hardly time to move though as the charges blew. Instantly, the femme was out, darting away to freedom. Reijii was next, hidden under the illusion that the disruptor created. Blackout was next, and then finally the gold and white flier. Shockwave snarled in anger as they escaped, though in his present state, he could do little. But what he could do was done.

Up in the air, Blackout gave a grunt as the systems that held his EMP in place gave out, and he fell, crashing as his insides where fried. He would remain where he crashed for a long time. No one cared, or would risk their frames for the fallen brute, and Shockwave certainly did not consider the EMP Experiment worth saving. He had other things to do, like contacting the other creators, if possible, and organizing the search teams for the escaped 'criminals.'

They could not be allowed to remain in the outside world, not at all.

Reijii was sick of running, sick of not being able to stop for longer than an orn or so before he had to move again. As the weakest of the escaped mechs, a team had been sent out after him, and the silver-grey mech had clumsily repainted himself to dark blue and silver in an effort to hide. Though the paint wasn't proper, wasn't right. He looked like someone hadn't the care to paint him right at all. And he looked harrowed, like a turbo fox that was being hounded by the cyberwolves, Not that he cared. If it kept him out of the clutches of his Creator, he'd do what he had to. He did NOT want to go back to that mad-mech's claws, and Stars only knew what Tarantulas would do if he did end up back there. Make him suffer as he was offlined, no doubt, but that was neither here nor there.

As it was, his disruptor was failing, and there was only a junk yard nearby. He could tell that it had some kind of shelter, and he headed towards there quickly. He was glad that his frame looked like that of racer mechs, and had the speed as well. He just had to reach the safety of the junk pile.

There were noises about Hound's land, noises his keen audio receptors could hear all too easily, and he could smell the mech as well. Dirt was what the mech smelt like, as if he hadn't been in the wash racks in ages, but didn't smell like a thief. He would decide _that_ when he caught the mech.

Dark green plating that was silver in patches from little care to it, blended into the vista of the junk yard he managed and lived in away from the rest of society. A society that had wanted to kill him, and would have, if it hadn't been for a favor from a mech named Optronix, whoever that was, though part of the deal was that he'd serve that mech in any way. For now it was tending a scrap heap.

It was confusing, but he didn't question it. It really wasn't so bad out here, just the thieves, whom he caught far more often than not. He was allowed to do with them as he wished. There was no security enforcement here, only Hound's will.

Reijj darted behind a junk pile, hunkering down as the disrupter failed, scooting back when he heard sounds. He looked around for an escape route, even though he didn't know how much longer he could run, if he could run anymore at all. He was low on energon, low on energy and in desperate need of a good recharge. As the noise grew louder, Mirage, as he would come to be known, tensed, ready to bolt if given the chance.

Red optics flickered as his large frame moved quietly, even gracefully. There had been all sorts of activity over the radio broadcasts he had listened to. Slowly he circled about that junk pile, the smell of the mech heightened at the proximity. He moved around until he was upon the mech, as quiet as the most eldest and skilled cyberwolf. A hand shot out as he found the mech, catching a slender arm before he gave a growl, picking the mech half up off the ground,

"And just what are you doing, little scrap?" he asked, voice a deep rumble, but smooth and articulate at the same time. Mirage hadn't heard him coming, so when he was yanked up, he gave a started cry, His own voice was rough, abrasive to the audios. He kicked and struggled, trying in vain to get free. Optics flashed as he took in the mech, noting that he seemed more powerful, and stronger, perhaps even taller.

"I asked you a question," spoke the green mech, red optics dim. "You're not a thief, are you? No, not looking like that. . ." he deduced. "So what are you doing out here, hmmm? You know, those who aren't armed are susceptible to packs of marauding cyberwolves or worse. . ." he continued, still holding the mech by that arm, optics flicking over the battered and carelessly painted frame.

He didn't answer when he stopped his struggles when he found that he wouldn't get free. Meta raced as he looked around, optics still wide, scared, but not of the mech that held him. No, of those he knew was chasing him.

"Let me go," he spoke at last. He made no effort to get away. His HUD was displaying low fuel warning, and he figured that he was doomed.

Seeing the mech look around, Hound gave a frown, "Whoever is chasing you had better not step on my lands, and no, I can't let you go. You'd mess something up," he murmured. Why he was about to do something kind, he didn't know, but the mech reeked and he couldn't stand it. He did not let go as he lightly set the mech down. Instead, he took an elbow and started to haul Mirage towards the abode that sat nearly centered within the scrap yard.

Reijii scowled back. When he was tugged toward the plain, two story high windowless abode, he gave a cry, digging his heels in, though it was useless. He didn't have the stamina left in him to truly offer more than a token, feeble resistance. He could only go where the mech wanted him and horrid thoughts flashed his meta.

"W-What..?" He stumbled when shoved, and caught himself, just, looking around, optics still wide, still frightened. He didn't have his wits about him that was for sure right now.

With the door closed behind, he set it to lock before walking right past the mech who had just fallen into a defensive position. It was an incredibly dismissive move on his part, but he was hardly fearful of the mech. It was too weak from lack of energon to do much of anything.

"You…you're going to turn me in, aren't you." Optics narrowed, and he shifted to keep himself balanced. He'd fight if he had to, fight to get free. He'd never go back to that place again.

"Turn you in? For what reason? Do I look like I need a reward?" he asked, looking back at the mech, his expression stern. "I was going to offer you a wash and a cube. You smell like regurgitated energon and it's giving me a CPU ache," he murmured, scarlet optics flaring. His olfactory sensors had received upgrades during his time in the Academy, and now they were quite sensitive to such offending smells.

"Ah... I thought that they… It doesn't matter." He shook his head, relaxing a little when the other reassured him he wouldn't turn him in.

"C'mon, scraplet, wash rack is back here," he said, moving towards the back of the abode. It was simply furnished, most of it put together by his own two hands, but it was comfortable none the less.

Mirage didn't protest the scraplet bit. He'd rather be thought of as young, young and only just of age, maybe not even that. He didn't want his true age to be known. But he did have a name, one that he liked, and that wasn't linked to the hell that he'd just escaped.

"I do have a name. It's…Mirage." He lied about the name though. And he did like Mirage better than Reijii. Padding forward, the tracker gave only a soft grunt of acknowledgment to Mirage's name. Again, he bade Mirage to follow.

"Wash racks?" He blinked and followed the mech, curious. Was he really…but that was... He shook his head, looking around, whistling a little. It looked nice. "T-thank you...And I like this place… It looks better than the – Than where I was before."

Hound was quiet in general, and with a few steps, he led Mirage back to the wash racks. It wasn't too large, just big enough to be comfortable for the green mech, so it would be downright spacious for Mirage. It was obvious the mech was a loner from his quiet nature.

"Here, and call me 'Hound,'" he murmured. "There's towels there," he said, pointing to a cabinet across from the racks before he strode away, seemingly disinterested. True, the mech could believe he had sordid motives, but he really didn't. He could do that with his hand rather than force himself on someone. No, he may have killed mechs, but forcing himself on another wasn't his sort of thing.

Mirage blinked a few times before turning his attention to the wash racks, a clueless look appearing on his faceplates before it was replaced with determination. He moved forward. He'd treat this like a test, trial and error. Only he hoped that there wouldn't be acid coming out of he got it wrong. The dark green mech didn't seem the sort though...but. He shook his head and focused on the wash racks. After a couple tries and a few yelps, he figured it out.

And it was the best wash he'd ever had, made better by the taste of freedom. So much better.

- - -

Feedback on my writing and any thoughts on the story so far are loved.


	2. Interlude: Arcee

**Warnings: I think that Shattered Glass Prime is a warning to himself? Implied brutality towards others. **

**Betas: zelroid and zeroxgirl1201.**

**As always, feedback is welcomed. Please enjoy and let me know what you think. **

**- - - **

**Interlude:**

**Arcee.**

**- - - **

"I don't respond to flattery well, Optronix." The pink and white femme gave a tight smile as the host of the gathering that was going on inside, Optronix, attempted to court her into his ring of followers.

"Yet it is so rare that mechs successfully break into my estate and manage to injure my guards." He smiled, though it didn't reach his optics. Turning, he gestured for two mechs. "Take Ricochet to the tanks."

Both mechs nodded, and hauled the wounded youngling up to his feet. He groaned weakly, visor shattered from the abuse that Arcee had inflicted on him. Jazz was still out, in a puddle of his own energon. Optronix kicked him a few times before the youngling shakily got to his feet, fear playing over his face plates. Both the host and intruder ignored it. It was hardly important.

"Charming, but they were weak. Pitiful really." She sneered, looking past them all. "I know that he's here. And I will find him. "

"Who?"

"Jhiaxus." She started to pace, flicking the energon blade in her hands. The Genesis femme noted the arrive of another mech, one whom Optronix spoke briefly to and then dismissed as well. She cared little for the mech, he was unimportant, looking much like the rest of the writhing mess of mechs inside. He was faceless to her, an easy target. Optronix and the two guards stood out, for now, though in the end they would only be a name and a face in the long list of targets.

"I can not say that I have heard on him." He was lying, but he was a smooth lier. He had to be to keep mechs in hand at times. The only ones that he did not lie to were his twin experiments, both truly only sparklings, but in youngling frames, sparked less than a vorn ago. They served as his body guards, or would when sufficiently trained and.. educated. Educated and twisted under his guidance. It was a cruel fate, yes, but one that he knew would give the results that he wanted and soon. He cared little for the shattering of the meta that would result, only the end product.

"Hmph. Then you are of little help to me." She turned to go. Optronix frowned. He did not want to lose her, and he had a feeling that attempting to hold her against her will would not work. Her behavior and attitude said that, and he surmised that she would be a powerful ally if courted with the correct words.

"Then what might I offer you?" He doubted that he could buy her favor like so many others, so it would have to be the careful use of words that would court her into his circle.

"War, Destruction. Battle. And you appear to be rather worthless in offering them to me." She turned her back as she strode to the ledge of the terrace, and the yet to be Prime smirked coldly. Bingo. Every mech had a price.

"I can offer you that in another 116.2 Mega-vorns."

"And why that number?"

"It takes time to gather troops and friends and surround myself with powerful allies such as yourself. I have a fifth of Iacon under my sway and minor towns and cities. I need more before I attempt to take Cybertron as mine. " He spoke truth now, seeing no need to lie to the femme. She whipped around, and Optronix marveled at how well trained her appeared. An oddity, but a dangerous one.

"I shall come to you in 84.3 mega-vorns." And with that, she left, leaping off the terrace and into the crystal gardens. He slowly followed to the edge, smirking.

Such a pity that he couldn't bully her into staying. Never mind. He had a party to re-attend, and more mechs to convince to his side. He motioned Jazz to follow him, taking cruel delight in the pain that the visored mech was suffering.

He though no more about the strange femme. She was, in his meta, unimportant in the grand plan of things. Cybertron would be his, and his alone. Those that didn't stand with him, would be crushed.


	3. Burning Crystal

Gah, this was meant to be out earlier, but with so much IRL going with my 5 week old niece, me getting evicted by my flatmate and then all that drama..

It kinda got forgotten about.

I hope that you all enjoy this chapter as it sets up some major things for way later down the track. Again, I like feedback on how I'm doing re: the cast. :) It helps me know what I'm doing and what you guys think of it. :)

**Warnings: **I think that Shattered Glass Prime is a warning to himself? Implied brutality towards others, implied death. Implied on-going non-con.

**Beta**: Tsuya

----

**Burning Crystal**

----

Optimus inhaled deeply at the sight of the city that was before him. Behind him, his army stood. It was night - and most of the mechs would be in recharge. It was perfect. To his left was his new consort, shackled with a guard to prevent his escape. Magnus was hardly willing right now, but in time, he would be. This would see to it. This... would be his masterpiece. A city was going to burn one way or the other tonight.

He heard his guards part to allow a mech through, and he turned to look the new mech over, optics seeming to smirk. Ah, It was just the mech that he wanted to see.

"You know your orders. Bring him to me, unharmed and without a fuss. Should you fail..." He gestured to where Arcee was pacing, caged in by Ironhide. The femme was restless, eager for a mechs energon to spill, and he had no problems with tossing the flier to her should he fail in this.

"Of course my lord," The black and red said before lifting. "I won't fail, he trusts me, I promise,"

"Now, go, Skyfire."

The large flyer bowed at the words, optics flickering malicously, before he stepped ahead of the band of war-hungry mechs. With a grin, he turned rockets and boosters on before taking to the sky, making a beeline for the academy. There, Skyfire would find what he was searching for. In the dark night sky, he was almost unseen but for his thrusters, inky black and blue paint melding with the sky quite well. Starscream wouldn't know what hit him, at all...

- - -

Prime smirked darkly as he watched the other return. Optics brightened cruelly when he saw that snowy mech. Ahh... _this_... was going to be fun. He hardly waited for his flier to land before he was moving to take his prize from the other. He wasn't gentle either, and yanked him by the wings.

"Thank you Skyfire. "

He turned to Starscream, bending his wing. Optics widened, azure blues brightening before the seeker gave a shriek when his wing was so handled. The voice caused the energon in lines to freeze up. Betrayal was on his features as he looked to Skyfire, who was now bowing low. Starscream could see that darkness in those red optics now. So this was why his once friend had vanished. To serve the tyrant that called himself 'Optimus Prime'.

"My lord, it is my honour," Skyfire said with a relished bow.

Snowy features wrinkled before Starscream spat at the mech, ignoring Prime, "You traitor! Traitor!" the snowy mech shrieked at Skyfire who only laughed at him as he passed. This brought Starscream's attention back to Prime. In his anger, his rage, he cared not who it was he was facing. Just that he had been betrayed by one he'd trusted.

"So... do you believe that you can deny my oh gracious request that I placed so much effort into? And get away _without_ facing my wrath?" Behind him, Primes' mechs started to fan out, eager for the coming slaughter. And It would be the mechs of Crystal City ... far too complacent in their lives. It would change.

"I won't ever join you, you sick megalomaniac!" Starscream hissed in that shrill voice of his.

"Oh?" Prime lent down and seemed to smirk at the smaller. "Then your city will burn." He straightened, and pulled the seeker against him, making him face the pretty city. It was such a sight, and he could picture it in flames already. He didn't have to look back to know that the mechs were in place now.

"Burn it. Burn it all. Let not a mech escape."

"You can't!" Magnus was pinned to the ground before he could get very far, and he twisted under the mechs. "You can't burn it! The history, the cul -" He was cut off when his face was smashed into the ground. Prime took no notice.

"No!" Starscream cried out, "You pitspawn beast!" His optics flared as he was turned about. He could hear the cry of another mech, another prisoner, like him, a witness. The snowy flyer struggled, but to no avail. There would be no escape and he could feel the tears running from the lines under his optics, streaking down his face. "N-No. . ." he whined. Crystal City was his home, his everything after he had left Vos.

To his side, he could hear Skyfire still chuckling, amused, amused of all things! It sickened Starscream who let himself go limp, Prime's grasp on him the only thing holding him up.

Magnus watched it all, horrified, frozen in place as the mechs moved in, ruthlessly cutting everything down, trapping those inside. There was a flash of pink, Arcee was on the loose again, and the ones that tried to escape the carnage, where cut down. Ironhides' weapons made short work of exits, and other mechs started the fires. Slowly, the city started to burn. He couldn't move, not believing what he saw. The mech that called himself his consort was a madmech, uncaring, unkind and yet he had a way with words. "I hate you."

"Oh? Perhaps I'll do the same to your city then, consort." Prime forced Starscream to watch, taking cruel delight in the burnings. Rage was building in Starscream's ember, burning as he shuddered, his denta biting into his lips, causing them to bleed as he was forced to watch. Never had the snowy flyer been a violent mech, but at that exact moment, he wished to kill the mech who was holding him. Sobs wracked his frame as the dark night sky was smattered with reds, oranges and yellows, when it should've been dark and peaceful. Even from this distance, he could hear screams of those who were departing. At least it would be quick for them and he rather wished he was among them. Death would not be swift for him, he knew.

"Skyfire.. Why are you not aiding, you fool?" He snarled on realizing that the flier was still at his side. Such a fool really, to test his patience.

Hearing Optimus Prime, Skyfire balked, "My lord, forgive me," he murmured before he was off, though once in the air he rather grumbled. Hadn't he done enough as he head off, circling over head, taking popshots at anything that tried to escape. After all, he had been the one to capture the prize, and weren't there enough mech to sack and kill? Oh no, he had to go dirty his hands with this.

Optimus didn't care what Skyfire thought and wanted and that mech would learn it soon enough. He kept his Prize watching. "Such a pity that you choices lead to this, Starscream." He brushed a hand over the snowy wings, in a mockery of kindness. He felt no lust for him frame wise, but his CPU... Yes. He wanted it.

"You can still save them you know... Just join me. And I'll call them off." It was hardly likely that he would.

"Don't touch me!" Starscream hissed, jerking his wings away, trying to slap the hands away with those wings. "You won't stop, you power-lusted fiend, you won't stop until all of Cybertron is ashes! You're sit on your throne of dead frames and rule over you empire of ash!" Starscream shrieked, features wrinkled up as he started to writhe against those arms.

Beside them, Magnus started to struggle again, shouting out when a few of the screams sounded close. "STOP THIS!"

Prime started to laugh then shoved the writhing mech away. Now upon his knees, Starscream turned his head, looking back at the tyrant. He pulled out his ion gun, his first, and aimed at the seeker, ignoring the pity look in his optics.

"Go ahead, run if you dare." He'd shoot him if he moved; blow one of the wings off. Maim him, yes. "You should join me, save their lives, Starscream. Or are you a coward?"

"The coward is you; you use others to fight your battles and use them as your shields! You're nothing but the sludge off of a garbage compactor," he said, making no move to run. It was pointless; he knew the logic in what it would accomplish in running. And his logic proved to be correct when Prime sneered, and shot the seeker. Starscream was out like a light, and the tyrant smirked. He'd take the seeker back Iacon with him, and possibly have some fun with me, before it was time for his death...

Yes... That was a good plan, he thought as he watched the flames dance, the screams almost stopped now. On the ground, Magnus watched in horror, blue optics wide with fear, anger and hatred. One day, he would see Optimus Prime burn for all the wrongs that he had committed. That he swore on his spark. Though for now, he'd have to deal with the tyrant, and plan carefully, gather what few Allies that he could in hopes of bringing down the mech, one orn.

Once the city was rubble, and the mechs dead, Prime smirked, and picked up his snowy prize, and headed off. Behind him, Jazz and Ricochet followed, dragging Magnus along behind them. Neither cared much, only that the show had been good.

Very good.


	4. Freedom

**Betas**: mimi_sardinia and zelroid

All links and data on this fic is in my User Info.

---

**Freedom**

---

Magnus knew that he shouldn't be here at all, but it was all that he could do to thwart the one that so brazenly took him into his berth by force. Optimus was a monster, he knew that, and yet at the same time he knew that he didn't have the power to stand up to him, not yet, not like this, and it hurt. Hurt his ember to be the consort of the tyrant. Consort, not bonded. He knew that Prime could never bond. Not fully. He'd seen the damage to his port, and had shuddered...

Nonetheless, what Prime had done to the city not a few orns ago... had been horrific, and to keep that snowy flier confined... And all this because the mech had refused Prime's offer... He had to do something, yet... Yes, he would.

Silently, he slipped into the shadows, only half coming out when he was nearing the flier's cell. He knew that his dark grey and darkish white would give him away, as would his optics, but…

"Are you online..?"

A groan was Magnus's answer. A moment later blue optics flicked on, dull, faint, but there, a quiet rebellion in them as they settled upon the dim outline of a mech there, so near, just across the bars.

"Why?" Starscream murmured in a sullen voice, a voice that bespoke a great bitterness. His question could truly have meant many things.

Bitterness at the world, bitterness at himself. There had been nothing he could've done about it, and yet everything. Hatred burned in his ember. He had finally trusted, and he had been greatly betrayed. Violated even, only joors ago. His snowy white plating was badly marred with claw marks, especially on the front of his chassis, and all from a certain once-friend.

"What my consort did… Was uncalled for, yet it is done. I can get you out of here, should you be willing..." He said nothing about the fact that he was unwilling as the tyrant's consort. The other didn't need to know, at all. Magnus other only response was to toss a cardkey, sinking somewhat into the shadows. Shaking hands reached towards it, clutching it lightly once it had landed. Intakes hitched and he looked to Magnus with a petulant look.

"And you couldn't have come earlier?" he murmured before he started to rise. It was clearly a painful endeavour. It felt like a certain mech had completely ruined him from the pelvic joints down. Weakly did he make his way to the door, balancing himself on the bars, taking the card and slid it down. He ignored Magnus comment about being too busy screaming his helm off for Prime, and instead watched the others approach now that the door was open. Magnus had his hands spread, showing that he was unarmed. He might be branded an Autobot, but that didn't mean that he was one. Though he was well aware that the symbol was what he was judged upon now, despite his blue optics.

Quietly the snowy flier wondered what it was this mech was going to do for him and how he was going to get him out of Iacon. He was of the belief that he wouldn't make it, but maybe some dumb grunt would shoot him, would kill him and then Prime would be without his precious plans he wanted to extract from him. Of course, he could hardly stand right now, he maybe he'd be lucky enough to pass into stasis lock and then offline. He shied away however when he felt the other at his side, propping him up, though he didn't fight the needed help. Really, this mech seemed to be his only way out of here, yes? But...

"Trust me, I'm on your side..." It was little comfort to the other, the darker coloured knew, but it was all that he could offer. Slowly, he started them moving, sticking to the shadows. HE needed to get him out, and now.

"How do I know that?" For all Starscream knew, he could be tricking him, taking him to the tyrant himself. HE knew nothing any more, his naïveté stripped away, yet still, a large part of him clung to the hope that this was possible, and that this mech was telling the truth.

"You don't, and while there's nothing that I can say that will convince you, I hate Optimus as much as you do, more possibly. Yet I can do nothing, bar this tiny piece of rebellion." He spoke as he got them moving, up and out to the nearest hidden exit. The city was old, so old in fact that it was said that it had been old even when the Old One, whom Prime had slaughtered not a cycle ago, had been young.  
As they walked, Magnus reflected. Why was he doing this? Why, because he needed allies, and one day, this mech, if he lived long enough, would owe him a favor. There was no two ways about that at all. And he'd make sure that he remembered it, whether he liked it or not. He'd call in the favor, and only when he was sure that he was going to win, to get his way. And when Prime was gone... He'd be free, and hopefully he'd be able to stop the war, right?

Of course, it all hinged on the Seeker's survival, and he hoped to the stars that it happened. He did not want to be stuck as Optimus' play toy forever.

It seemed like forever to Starscream, but eventually, they reached an exit, and Magnus pushed it open to reveal that they were at the outer most edges of Iacon. How had that happened? They had... oh, they'd been walking almost a joor an half... But that... He decided not to question the Luck of the Stars, least he make his meta hurt all the more than it was with the fact that Prime's _consort_ was helping him.

"Go, be swift." Was all Magnus said as he backed away, fading into the shadows, like he was never there.

Starscream didn't have to be told twice, and he darted off, heading towards wherever the Stars would lead him, and he didn't look back, at all.

What would come from this, he didn't know, nor care right now.

He just wanted… Needed to get as far away from Iacon as he could.

-------

Small, but it leads into the next arc of Seeker oriented stuffs, plus Sunstorm finally makes his appearance, and we learn a little more about what a Genesis mech is exactly, if you haven't already peeked at my ongoing-notes for them over on my fic journal that is.

I am actually curious as to what you are all thinking of this fic, and how the characters come off as well, as I've had to tweak a few non SG ones' to get them to fit into the 'verse, while at the same time trying not mangle them to badly. Some major ones will stay more or less the same due to It Being Needed.


	5. Friend or Foe? Part One

Co-Author: tiny_green_leaf over on Livejournal.

Betas: Tsuya / zelroid

All info on the verse ect can be found in my profile.

Hopefully things are starting to move now as well , though it's still in the set up phase of things. I still need to expand a little more on Mirage and some of a certain spider s and one optic'd mechs role in all this. Then after that things start happening with nosey mechs sticking their nose into things. And a whole bunch of side stories as well... ^__^;;

And last but certiannly not least, many, many thanks to my co-author who helped me out with Starscream in this. Without her, he'd not be half as good.

And to all you readers andthose who Review. A big shout out to you guys as well. I hope that I'm not disappointing you. :D

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**Friend or Foe?  
**Part One.

--

The last handful of orns had been miserable, absolutely miserable, but a mech did what a mech had to do to survive, Starscream thought as he dug through rubble, looking for anything that might be of value. Since his escape from Iacon not 5 orns ago, after the destruction of Crystal City, he had played scavenger, gleaning what he could in order to get atrociously priced energon from the few outlying communities that hadn't yet incurred the wrath of Optimus Prime.

It was a horrible injury to his ego, he a flier, and one of the most respected minds of Crystal City University, picking through scrap on the ground as if he didn't even have wings. Yet flying used a lot of energon that he didn't have. Picking through, he removed some circuitry, looking through it for something valuable.

Wings hitched with frustration, he tossed that chunk of circuitry. Worthless, he thought, working through another pile. All his education, and he was using to determine what was valuable and what was not. The flier had yet to find anything for that orn of value, and he was beginning to run very low on energon. He could always. . . No, no, no, he shook that thought, he'd never stoop that low. He didn't care how much that slagging Skyfire said he screamed just like a cheap hooker-mech. Grumbling to himself, bitterness at what had happened clouding his normally cheerful deposition, he dug through piles of junk, feeling like his attempts were most futile.

"You. Watch were you are throwing stuff, mech." A 'better than you' look was on the gold and yellow-white speakers faceplates, and Starscream's ember flip flopped. Though he had no faction markings, the mech sounded like Skyfire, he thought, slag that mech. Lips giving a tremble, optic ridges baring low on his optics, he spoke.

"Maybe you should watch where you're walking, then," he said sharply, before turning around to start digging through the rubble again. He didn't have the time, nor the energon to waste on some snippy mech. Starscream had been at this for awhile, the white paint of his forearms nearly completely scrapped off, revealing only bare metal.

"I was watching where I was walking." Goldy snorted, and moved closer, grabbing the others shoulder.

"Let go!" He hissed, trying to move out of the other's grip as he felt that hand on his shoulder.

"And you shouldn't be here. It's off limits, or are you dumb?"

"I'll go where I want, and who ever is guarding this off limit slag heap is sure doing a bad job," he retorted to the other, still trying to get away from the mech, who, slightly larger, had hold of him. He was far too low on energon to pick a fight, and even worse, there wasn't enough in him to escape.

"I have to agree, but a job is a job if one wants to get energon." The golden one drawled, and started to, quite literally, drag the other away from the pile. "Find another one that's not in my employers territory, flier."

"Let go!" he said with a hiss, trying to get away from the other without outright attacking the other, knowing it would be stupid. His optics brightened at the words.

"E-Employer?" he stuttered, "Y-You're an a-a-autobot?" Panicking, fearing that this other would find out who he was, find out that there was a large reward on his head for his capture, he struggled to get away, practically screeching, "LET ME GO!"

"Hardly. Freelancer." the bulker of the two sneered at the mere thought of joining the Autobots. "They hardly pay enough as it is. Now, stop your squirming." He sighed, gripping harder, a little bit of his radiation leaking out.

Freelancer, he rolled the thought around his CPU, that was even worse if he was just a credit monger. This mech that had him would turn him over in an instant, "N-no, just let me go, I'll leave!" he hissed back, before giving a little shriek of pain as the other gripped him harder, along with what ever stung at his plating, "Please! Let go!" A warning popped up in his hud about radiation and he found himself most confused.

"Shut up." He growled, losing a little more radiation out from his iron tight control. "Shut up and I might not turn you over to my employers for whatever reward a 'Con might bring." He didnt state it out right, but he thought that the flier was possibly low level reward stuff. "Which I doubt is much more than I normally make in a cycle."

"Owh! Owh! Please stop that, please, what ever that is, please!" he whined, stopping his struggling as he felt that radiation bite into his plating. He wasn't a Decepticon, or part of any resistance, but he had a large bounty on his head. Enough to keep a mech in a stock of energon for an orbital cycle, even with the prices that the life liquid was running for. Fear played over on his face, he didn't want to go back to Iacon, as he knew the chances were infinitesimal of escaping for a second time. Another warning popped up in his HUD, he was on his final few fumes of energon. . .

Sunstorm reined back his radiation, then smirked slightly at the fear. But he found it ugly on the mechs face, and promptly dismissed that thought. Attractive, yes, but now was not the time. He let go, then shoved him forward. "Keep moving, or I'll haul you to the gates. "

The flier wasn't even sure he could make it much further, but he stopped his struggling, knowing it would cause him to go into stasis lock even faster. How long did he have until that? He didn't know, he had never drained his systems so badly before. Letting his expression go slack, he concentrated mainly on just putting one foot in front of the other.

"Even if I do let you go, you're just going to go into stasis. I can see it."

"What do you care?" the slightly smaller mech said bitterly, not even looking at the other as he was stopped from walking any further. Starscream made no further comment, quiet, though fearing he would be turned in anyways, in stasis and oblivious to what was going on, and that caused him more than a great bit of fear. What if he woke up in Prime's quarters? A shudder passed through him, fear, and his systems craving energon.

"Cos you're cute." Sunstorm said without thinking much, leading the other towards a slightly better area of the rubble, where he'd stored cubes for this shift. "And you're a flier."

"W-what?" he stuttered. Fear swallowed his ember, was the other going to? No, he assured himself, before he blurted out, "I won't be willing, I'd rather go into stasis than interface for energon!" he hissed, starting to act like he might purposely start struggling to offline himself. Despite his poor predicament, there was only so low he would ever stoop to, or at least he believed.

"Relax. You are cute, but I have my own set of morals. And besides, if I wanted unwilling, I'd program a pleasure droid for that type of thing." He shook his head slightly. "There's energon buried five paces ahead of you. Help yourself, then get out of here, mech." Was all he said next, letting go of the other, and then turning around, and starting to walk off. He did have a job to do.

"I'll pretend that I never saw you."

Shock played across Starscreams' features, confused by this, no, more than confused. He had known such cruelty and depravity in the orns past, but this? Kindness? Or was it a trick, a game? Optics flicked side to side, trying to figure what the other's intentions were. Was the energon truly free, or was this some sort of sick game of the likes of Skyfire. He had the mech pinned for a close relative of Skyfire. But in the end, desperation won out and he clamoured towards the place indicated, starting to dig his digits into the wreckage, seeing the faint glimmer, he turned his head before giving a meek, "Thank you!" towards the mech that was walking off, unsure what had just happened, but going for the energon is systems so craved and needed.

"Just take it. No need for thanks." Sunstom gave a wave, before he took to the air, and headed away, the flight trajectory suggesting the other side of the ruins.

Starscream couldn't' believe it, the energon truly was free, and on hearing that it was, he scrambled to get down the first cube he found. It was a touch weak, but he wasn't complaining as he drank it down. Taking a second cube, he took that one down, but slowed down midway through, not wanting to crash his systems after depriving them of energon for so long. Seeing that there were more cubes, he was relieved that maybe he could survive at least a little bit longer. . .

Counting it, he blinked, staring at the cache. There was enough to last at least a good 8 orns, more maybe if he rationed it. Looking up, he found no trace of his savior, who ever it was, in the skies. Perhaps he'd imagined it all, but he didn't think that he had.

But only time would tell if the Golden Seeker was truly friend or foe.

---

As always, thank you for the review any thing that you offer up in terms of your thoughts on this. All is muchly loved and valued.


	6. Friend or Foe? Part Two

Co-Author: tiny_green_leaf over on Livejournal.

Betas: Tsuya / zelroid

All info on the verse ect can be found in my profile.

I am SO hoping that things are making sense as well. There's only so much that beta's can pick up on.

Thanks for any comments that you might have on the fic as well.

-----

**_Friend or Foe_**

Part two.

----

_I hate energy cuffs..._ Sighing dejectedly in a restraining cell of a transport, Starscream had known that his luck had been bound to run out, sooner or later. He should've found the first rifle he could and should've put it to his ember and pulled the trigger. The flier did not want to go to Iacon, not again. He knew full well it would be worse than the first time. Prime would just out right torture him, and that mere thought of that sent shivers through his frame.

Yet there was nothing he could do, but wait. He had kept his back turned too long; had chanced going into an outpost to sell his findings for some energon, and had instead been recognized, captured, and tossed in a transport to Iacon. The transport, of all things, had broken down, and the two crew mechs were currently working to fix the craft. Not trusting the tricky flier, they had called for support. Like he could really get out in energy binders in a restraining cell.

Hearing the landing signalling that back up was now there, the flier felt even more dejected, but when he looked up, he was surprised to see it was the Autobot henchmech that had helped him out with the energon. Better not to even think about getting out. Saying nothing, just tilting his head back down as he heard that chuckle from the guard, he resigned himself to his fate, looking at the bindings on his arms that were nearly divested of all signs of ever being painted.

One of the shuttle pilots who had been playing guard turned to the golden flier, looking at the other's bored expression. He seemed like he wasn't happy to be here, but then again, the Primes Consort had said that he'd send someone out... Ah well, the flier might not have been happy to play escort. Not that it mattered much to him.

"He's a tricky one, flier. That's Starscream, the one that Lord Prime razed Crystal City over," he said with a bit of a chuckle.

"I don't care. What's the pay rate? Better than what I normally get?" The golden flier growled, looking down at the Autobot like if he wasn't happy with the answer, heads would roll. Literally.

"You should be thankful for the work, Sunstorm," the other pilot said, "I've heard it's been hard for you finding any at all, so I guess you'll be happy for your normal rate, eh?" The pilot snipped as he worked on the repulsor lifts, obviously not caring about the hidden threat.

"Wrong answer." Sunstorm seemed to light up as a literal arch of radiation zapped into the pilot, a little bit of a maniacal look on his face, like he liked the act of killing the mech. The doomed pilot screamed in pain as his CPU was literally melted into a pile of slag, and Sunstorm a cruel grin, optics glowing brightly for a klick.  
"Tsk... Opps... looks like I fried your CPU." He laughed, then reined in his powers, the bored look returning. The other pilot turned, a horror stricken look on his faceplates as he looked between his fallen comrade and the hired help. Why couldn't they have gotten Arcee..? She'd be easier to work with... Mostly. And she didn't kill those she was meant to be helping…

"What the... slag are you?" he started as he backed away.

"It doesn't matter. Turn the containment off, and I might not have you meet the same fate as your friend..." He purred, wriggling his digits as radiation played over them, like a tame pet. The remaining pilot was too much of a coward, and without word, he complied, shutting off the containment field for Starscream's energy cell.

Starscream was speechless, as he watched/listened to the exchange and he made not a move. Part of him hoped that he would be saved, but he couldn't formulate a reason why he would be assisted in such a way, and a part of him feared that the golden flier before him would take him straight to Iacon for the best pay off ever. Credits seemed to run this mech's choices, so he doubt that he was going to let a prime energon mine go wandering off.

Sunstorm flicked a ball of condensed radiation at the Autobot mech, doing a head shot, and not caring for the the mechs fate. He turned to Screamer, and snorted when the smaller jerked a bit at the death of the second pilot.

"Awww.. No thank you time, cutie?" He tilted his head, messing a bit with Starscream, just because it looked like it could be fun. Blue optics lit up as the other turned towards him, fear in his face, unsure what the other was going to do to him. Sure, Sunstorm had given him a cycle's worth of energon, but that was before the radiant creature before Starscream knew who he was and how much his head was worth.

"I-I don't kn-know w-what your i-intentions a-are..." he stammered, seemingly trying to back up, but running into a wall.

"Well, thank you would be nice, but I can just take you to Iacon myself and get paid whatever they give me..." Sunstorm crossed his arms, an annoyed look on his face. He snorted as he looked the other over, a bemused expression on his faceplaces, even if only briefly. "Which I highly doubt is going to be a lot considering the state you're in."

"Please don't take me to Iacon, I don't want to go back there to face Pri-" he said cutting himself off, biting his lip, knowing he had probably let the casseticon out of the bag. Surely, if Prime was directly involved, Starscream was more than a little important. Though it seemed that this 'Sunstorm' had yet to connect the dots, which was a good thing right about now.

"Please..." he whimpered, head dipping down. Starscream doubted his pleas would really matter to this flier before him that was ever so powerful.

"Prime?" Sunstorm raised an optic ridge, and moved closer, trying to keep the threat factor down, for now. Starscream was unarmed, and bound, and Sunstorms own street-slum based morals said that he didn't need to be intimidated, if at all. "I highly doubt that you'd even see him. You look like a third rate mech. And quit begging, you sound pathetic."

Starscream did not argue, being smart enough to do that. True, he was highly intelligent, which was why Prime wanted him. To build him some weapon or other sick creation, perhaps, Starscream thought. Yet the flier was very naive, and all too trusting, all too moral, all too good. He was having the worst crash course on street smarts ever. Hearing the other tell him not to beg, he responded, "What would you have me do? I am at your mercy."

"I know you are." Sunstorm offered out a hand. "But I don't want someone who's scared of me, or unwilling to leave this slag heap with me." He paused here, thinking before he spoked again. "I can take you as far as the next 'Con outpost, but that's it."

Why was this mech being so kind to him? It couldn't be that the other was just helping him out because he was 'cute' as he had been told. Reaching with his bound hands, he took the other's hand, still somewhat meekly, but trying to gain his bearings with this strange flier. His blue optics studied the other, curious with questions, though his concern for himself kept the questions to a minimum. Softly to he replied, "Thank you."

"Hmnn." He tugged him out carefully and into the open again.

Every joint in the once snowy seeker froze up, stiff from sitting in that position for half an orn. Following the other out, he was careful not to do anything to upset the other. Quiet, but not acting timid or stupid, just letting himself be taken where the other wanted him to go. Just when Starscream had started to believe that the world had truly gone corrupt, this strange thing had happened again. Yet still, he could not come up with one single reason why this flier would be helping him.

Yet the smaller flier was stunned at the show of force when, after a bit, the hand bindings were literally ripped off. Shivering, he watched them fall away, like they were only dust to the golden ones touch. What was this strange creature in front of him? Was he some sort of god in disguise, Starscream half wondered. Surely, this flier, despite being smaller than Skyfire but still larger and more bulky than himself, could rend that miserable flier to bits with such power. Optics flickering, he couldn't help that curious side of him, asking, "H-how did you do that?"

"Inbuilt solar fusion core. Gives me radiation. All I know is that I was built for war, if it ever came. There's few of us around.. not sure if they are still sane or not though.. Well, I think that Riejii is still sane... I think." He made a face, clearly not wanting to talk of whoever this Riejii or the others were.

"Walk or flying?" He was all business after a shake of the helm to clear whatever was on his meta.

"But it was just supposed to be a theory," Starscream half whispered, looking to the other, wondering at all the little implications, CPU ticking away. Hearing the other, he shook himself from his little CPU dreaming.

"Walk... I don't even know if I could fly. Unfortunately, everything is knocked out of whack... Rudders, ailerons, the whole works, especially after being wedged in a little cell," he said a little more freely.

"Theory my aft." He snorted. "They made us, we escaped, and now this war happens. I have feeling that most of us will side with Optimus." He said the tyrants name like it was nothing, and didn't use the Prime designation, either out of sheer arrogance, or disregard for it. "I personally... could care less for this whole mess. The only Will I follow, is that of what the stars dictate."

The way the other talked, his power, the younger wondered if Sunstorm might be able to take on Prime and win. Starscream was almost certain that the power he had seen thus far from the other was only a small bit. His CPU was a whir with information, thinking, processing, despite his needing a recharge, he followed the other, this mysterious mech that kept on plucking him out of trouble. He was quiet as the other spoke, listening quietly, interested, "When... If you don't mind me asking, were you created?"

"I don't really think about my age much, but I know for a fact that I'm older than Megatron." He admitted with a chuckle, wings hiking up in what the smaller read as hidden amusement, though he didn't ask.

"I've heard of him, never met him... Doubt I'll make it that far..." he said off handedly. Too many hounds of war after him and he was still out in the open. Yet he had opposition on both sides, in ways, he was the blame for Crystal City being destroyed. After all, there were many who would rather tear him apart than look at him.

"He's like you in a way: naive to the world. It's rumoured that he saw this happening a mile away and is working on some stuff. I don't know though. I hardly go to Kaon. How old are you?"

The other's words stung, the naivety, he knew that about himself, but it still hurt for someone to say that to him, even if they didn't mean it cruelly. Hearing the other ask him that question, he replied simply, "I've kind of forgotten, too many vorns at university, but I'm maybe half a mega-vorn Megatron's junior if that's any basis." He was starting to feel a little bit more at ease with the strange flier, surely, if that radioactive flier wanted to turn him over to Iacon, wouldn't he have?

"Ah... " He smiled more, then reached out and brushed the others wing without thinking, humming. A twitch flowed through him as Starscreams' wing was touched. A shiver, and his mind wandered, and he tried to shake the thoughts, keeping quiet. He didn't want to upset the other, and if the other wanted to touch his wing, than so be it. But Sunstorm withdrew his hand at the twitch, and didn't say a word. He just moved further ahead, silent. It wasn't that the younger found the touch unpleasant, he was just stand offish towards Sunstorm, well aware of being 'cute' to the other.

Sunstorm kept up the pace a bit, moving faster as well. Seeing the other start to walk faster, the future 2ndIC of the Decepticons willed himself to keep up, but he was awfully tired, and could really use a rest somewhere comfortable. Just a short recharge would be nice, he thought, working to keep up with the other flier. After about a half a joor of walking, Sunstorm pulled over at a small set of ruins, indicating that the

"We'll rest here for a while." He said, before slouching against the half wall/pillar thing, then sliding down, optics closed and arms crossed.

"Thank you," he murmured to the other at the little shelter, sitting beside the other, and curling up on the ground as if it was the softest and most comfortable berth ever. Yet, the smaller flier was a bit of a clingy creature, and he was starved of social interaction, but intimate and socially, and not realizing what he had been doing, had ended up against the larger flier, helm against the other's arm.

"You're welcome..." Sunstorn nodded, then blinked, and looked at the other, before sighing silently. He didn't have the ember to make him move. "Comfortable?"

He only murmured to the other, optics dimmed, too tired to move himself away from the other, even though he had realized where he was. It had been what, orns since he had physical contact with another? Skyfire had always been somewhat of a cruel presence, yet there was still the attachment, the physical closeness that was gone.

As he started to fade into recharge, he brought his arms up, touching one to the other flier's arm, while the other hand touched Sunstorm's hand. To think, Starscream didn't even truly know the other's name, but there was something he wanted to trust in on the other, and he was starting to think this other flier wasn't anything like Skyfire. And for some reason he felt safe there, against the other, one hand curled against the other. Had the other touched him, it was unlikely he'd have been able to aim his null canons at the other point blank much less even fire them. The scholar was no warrior, and he knew he stood no chance against the other. He drifted off into recharge contently.

Sunstorm watched him, not minding that fact that Starscream was clinging to him. He found it rather cute and like-able after all. There was just something that seemed to call to him, and he wondered if it was even possible that he could mate. He hoped so, even that he knew that he shouldn't be having these thoughts at all. But it didn't matter right now. He'd keep watch over the younger seeker, and get him to safety. And keep a tight lid on his own desires. He refused to break his morals, and basically force the other to endure his touches. It wasn't right, and he doubted that Starscream would thank him in away that didn't involve a null ray to the chest. And besides, he'd seen what Riejii's creator had done to the last mark before they had escaped. It wasn't right at all. But, he mused, he was not like they could have done anything to stop it from happening, cursed Overrides.

He scowled a little as he settled in for the long run of the next few joors. He wondered how the younger would react to knowing exactly what his saviour was, then shook that thought from his head. Starscream didn't need to know. No one did.

Ever.

He'd had enough labs and testing to last a lifetime, and he intended on keeping it that way. Permanently.

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So, now that you know more-ish about Sunstorm and the Genesis, what do you think? I hope that I'm doing a good job with Sunstorm, as I know that my co-Author is brilliant with Starscream.

And as ways, feed back is very much loved. and I love it.


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